


Appearances

by symphorine



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Agender Scott McCall, Asexual Kira Yukimura, Asexual Stiles Stilinski, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Fluff, Multi, Polyamory, Trans Stiles Stilinski, also some cuddling, hand holding and kisses on cheek all around just because
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-14
Updated: 2016-02-14
Packaged: 2018-05-19 14:59:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,311
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5971189
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/symphorine/pseuds/symphorine
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The problem, as he has just explained to Scott and Kira, all three of them sitting in Scott and Stiles' small apartment's living room, is that he never told his father that he and Malia had broken up, and now he's expecting him to bring a plus one to his wedding.</p><p>“And that's why you're in deep shit?” Scott asks when they're sure their friend has finished his rant.</p><p>“Yes, Scottie, that's why I'm in deep shit.”</p>
            </blockquote>





	Appearances

**Author's Note:**

  * For [KuriKuri](https://archiveofourown.org/users/KuriKuri/gifts).



> Hey Kuri! I tried to use the detailed Scilira prompt you gave me, but you wanted fluff and I kept making it angsty, so I went another road. I hope you like it!
> 
> As usual, no beta, so any mistake is mine, and you can totally tall me if you see one so I can correct it ^^

So Stiles is really happy for his dad. He doesn't really know Alexandra, hasn't had a lot of occasion to go back to Beacon Hills this year, but she sounds nice, and his dad looks happy, without the faintest trace of guilt, when he talks about her. Stiles hadn't really expected him to find someone again, partly because it was still weird to imagine someone other than his mom at his father's side, and partly because his dad had followed him into his journey into sexuality and gender identity, and declared himself demi right around the time Stiles had told him he was asexual. So, it's strange, but Alexandra sounds great, and his dad is happy.

That's not the problem.

The problem, as he has just explained to Scott and Kira, all three of them sitting in Scott and Stiles' small apartment's living room, is that he never told his father that he and Malia had broken up, and now he's expecting him to bring a plus one to his wedding.

A plus one he _does not have_ , but his father is so invested in his well-being and love life that Stiles just can't tell him it didn't work out. Especially not now, when he has a wedding on his mind. So, when his father had told him that _you'll bring your girlfriend, right?_ , he had stuttered a _yes_ and only realized afterward. He really, _really_ needs to find a solution.

“And that's why you're in deep shit?” Scott asks when they're sure their friend has finished his rant.

“Yes, Scottie, that's why I'm in deep shit.”

“Can't you ask Malia to come with you and pretend?” Kira proposes. “You guys are still friends, I don't think she would mind.”

Stiles shakes his head, leaning back against the couch. Kira is seating cross-legged on their only armchair, and Scott is propped up against it, their long legs spread on the floor, almost reaching the bookshelf next to the couch. The afternoon sunlight coming through the windows is illuminating them, casting a warm glow on the small room. The television is on, some movie playing out on the screen, but Stiles had muted it. He follows the hero's gesture absently before getting back to the discussion.

“She's in London with her dad the whole week, now way she's canceling for this.”

“Well, what did you tell your dad about Malia?” Scott inquires, frowning.

“Not much, I think I only really mentioned her once. Which was enough for dad to be all excited on the phone,” Stiles recalls, smiling fondly at the memory. “That I'd met her at college, at the LGBT group, and that she really liked hiking, for some reason. Now that I'm thinking about it, I'm not even sure I had the time to tell him her name, I think we had to hang up. But unless I find someone to fill in, which, by the way, would probably be very awkward, it doesn't matter. I need a good excuse, but, like, a really good one that doesn't break his heart.”

The precisions having obviously prompted nothing on Scott's end, Stiles turns hopefully towards Kira. She looks thoughtful, her head tilted to the side, long dark hair cascading on her shoulder. After a few seconds of silence, Scott looks up to their girlfriend too, an inquiring eyebrow raised.

“Scott, did you say you'd bring someone at the wedding?” she asked slowly, her eyes lingering on Stiles.

“Haven't had the time yet, why?”

Kira coughs once, a faint blush on her cheeks, but she tears her gaze off of her friend and glances at her partner. They exchange a few quick expressions, a wordless communication that Stiles doesn't have the time to decipher before they turn back to him, the same bright smile on their faces.

“What do you say I play the part of your date?” Kira offers, clasping her hands together in front of her.

Stiles gapes for a few seconds. He's not sure he heard right, because _what?_

“Wait-”

“It'd be perfect!” Scott beams, sitting straighter. “You don't even have a lot of things to change to your story, you did meet in college, and you bonded over being ace and bi!”

“I'll have to pretend I love hiking, but it's a sacrifice I'm willing to make,” Kira laughs in answer as Scott links their hand with hers.

“What the- And Scott?” Stiles protests, gesturing at his friend.

“Dude, it's okay. I'm okay with it,” Scott reassures him with a shrug. “It's not like Kira and I won't see each other at all, we'll just have to not be obvious.”

“The focus won't be on us anyway,” Kira adds.

“Except maybe for my mom,” Scott grimaces. “She'll know right away, since she knows you. But we can tell her, I think, she'll understand.”

“Do I have a say in this?” Stiles asks, feeling the corners of his mouth tugging upwards against his will. “I'm the one being dated here.”

“You will be thoroughly dated, don't worry,” Kira winks. “We can start now if you want, I've been meaning to try a new restaurant.”

“Okay, okay,” Stiles laughs, admitting defeat. “I'm outnumbered.”

They all get up, reaching for their jackets and shoes. Stiles bends over to lace his, missing the way his friends look at him, hopeful, and then at each other, tightening their grip on the other's hand. When he's standing again, they're busy dressing too, and then they're going through the door, Scott closing behind them.

Stiles stops them before they go down the stairs, unusually serious.

“Thank you, though. Really.”

“We get it, you don't want you dad to worry for you,” Scott smiles.

“We wouldn't leave you to deal with it alone.”

Kira keeps smiling as she extends her hand, letting go of Scott's.

“For practice,” she explains at Stiles' confused expression.

Stiles looks at them both, searching for any hint of doubt or hesitation, but they're waiting for him to do the next move, and he finds nothing, so he takes Kira's hand and squeezes, once, as a final silent sign of gratitude.

He tries not to think about how the contact makes him really, really happy, because it's not a new thought, and he manages to stuff it back in a remote corner of his brain until he can deal with it.

 

* * *

 

They pile themselves in the Jeep, Scott calling shotgun, and drive straight to Beacon Hills on the Friday before the wedding. It's something simple, Stile's dad had assured him, not too big or overwhelming. As they take in the sheer number of people in and around the house – and it's not even the big day – they realize Alexandra might have had another vision of it. Or Stiles' dad has lost any notion of quantity.

John leaves a couple of friends to welcome the three of them, engulfing Stiles in a warm hug.

“Hey, dad,” Stiles smiles, returning it with enthusiasm.

“How was the road?” John asks, stepping back a bit.

“Pretty long,” Scott chimes in.

It's their turn to get a hug, and then John turns to Kira, his eyebrow raised in a silent question. Stiles clears his throat once, opens his mouth, and lets out the words dooming him. _So it begins_ , he thinks grimly.

“Dad, this is my girlfriend, Kira.”

“Nice to meet you,” John exclaims as he extends his hand. “I hope he isn't too much trouble.”

“Only when he snores,” Kira answers lightly, linking her fingers with Stiles' after shaking his dad's hand.

“I do not snore, okay, it's just me _breathing_.” Stiles protests.

“If you insist,” she sighs mockingly, pressing a light kiss to his cheek.

Stiles loses his retort at that and becomes all red. Thankfully, his father isn't paying much attention to him, busy chatting with Kira. He looks for Scott, but his friend is only smiling at him, obviously not perturbed by anything that had just happened, and somehow, it makes him feel both better and worse.

 _Right_ , Stiles thinks. They've agreed to this. They've all practiced. He probably thinks it's just embarrassment. Stiles can deal with that, he can pretend there's nothing else. He smiles back, then pays attention to the conversation going on next to him. Alexandra comes out to welcome them too, after a few minutes.

She's a tall woman, towering over all of them, her jaw square and hands as calloused as he remembers them from the few times they've met. And, as usual, her presence feels appeasing, like everything is under control. She and John don't kiss, don't hold hands, but they stand close, in the sort of proximity and comfortable ease you can only have with people you trust absolutely. It reminds Stiles of Kira and Scott, actually. Except right now, they're not _Kira and Scott_.

“We gave all three of you Stiles' old bedroom. I hope it's alright,” she says, her tone less assured, “but we didn't have a lot of solutions.”

“It's totally okay,” Stiles assures her, backed up by his friends' nods.

“It's not like he still has anything left to hide from us,” Scott remarks. “I even know about the Twilight posters.”

“Oooh, I didn't. That's useful information,” Kira smiles.

“We all have dark periods in our lives,” her pretend boyfriend sighs dramatically.

“Yeah, that one was dark alright, but mostly for your dad and me. You couldn't stop talking about Edward Cullen,” Scott snorts, hauling their bag on their shoulder. “C'mon, lead the way.”

“I didn't, he's lying,” Stiles tries to defend himself as Scott pushes him forward, but nobody looks very convinced, and so he gives up and enters the house.

 

* * *

 

They run into Melissa on their way out of the bedroom, having only dumped their bags before going to meet everyone else. She gives a very pointed look to Stiles and Kira's hands, which – he hadn't even noticed, _when_ had they – almost sends Stiles panicking, before he remembers Scott told her. She greets them warmly, and they all get a hug this time.

“Did you unpack everything already?”

“We'll do that later,” Stiles answers. “I wanna go see if the whole precinct is here first, because it looks like it. I hear they've got embarrassing stories to tell.”

“The courtship _was_ sometimes a little awkward,” Melissa agrees, a laugh in her eyes. “But they're very good to each other,” she adds softly for Stiles.

“I know,” he says, his voice low. “It's kind of weird, her not being mom, but- I know,” he repeats, feels Kira tightening her hold on his hand, Scott squeezing his shoulder too.

Melissa smiles at the show of support and affection and shakes her head fondly. She ruffles Scott's hair before shooing them down the stairs, a knowing glint in her eyes Stiles doesn't know how to interpret.

 

* * *

 

Only a handful of guests are _actually_ staying in the Stilinski home, which is just as well, since they don't have that much room to begin with. Alexandra's mom and step-mom are there, as well as John's own mother, who pinches Stiles cheek as soon as she sees him.

“What a handsome _boy_ you've grown to be,” she coos, and Stiles hears the stress she puts on the word even through her thick accent. It makes him smile. It's been a part of their ritual ever since he'd asked for people to refer to him as such, a way for her to assure him of her unconditional support, and the familiarity of it is welcome. She knows Scott already, and is quick to adopt Kira the same way she'd accepted Stiles' best friend as practically family. She steals her away halfway through the evening, leaving Scott and Stiles to sit on the sofa by themselves.

“Man, I'd missed them,” Scott sighs, sinking in the cushions. “College's great, but nothing beats home. I don't think I could feel any better right now.”

“Maybe not having to pretend to my dad that I'm not forever alone,” Stiles grimaces, spreading his legs in Scott's lap. “That might be nice.”

They startle at that, and for a moment Stiles thinks it's because they think someone might hear him, but Scott's eyes don't leave his face, and he feels himself blush under them. Scott's face is doing that thing where they want to say something, but it won't come out, and they're struggling to speak. Usually, though, Stiles isn't the one on the receiving end of that face: they've almost never had to think about their words before talking.

“What?” he asks defensively, hugging a cushion to his chest.

“About that,” Scott starts. “The, uh, pretending. In general.”

Stiles feels his heart miss a beat, and suddenly his ears are buzzing. He inhales sharply, ready to deal with whatever Scott has to say, because of course it couldn't be that easy, could it? Of course, he knows Scott won't say or do anything that would hrut him, but maybe they've picked up on Stiles' crush – crushes, really, plural, because nobody could know Scott McCall their whole life and not fall a little bit in love with them. _At least_ a little bit. Maybe Stiles had gone past the 'little bit' part, but he was certain nobody knew, because he'd been extremely careful about it. About his crush on Kira, not so much, but he would never, ever betray his best friend like that, so he'd toned it down, but maybe- maybe he's let it slip somehow, what with playing the couple part with Kira, and-

Unfortunately, Scott cannot say anything else, because John interrupts them, fiancee and parents in tow, offering hot chocolate to everyone, and the moment is gone.

They smile and act as naturally as they can throughout the rest of the evening, Kira sitting between them when she comes back, leaning against Stiles under Scott's warm gaze, and Stiles feels something tighten around his heart as he returns the touch. He tries not to squirm, knowing his father would notice anything too obvious, but he carefully avoids his friends' inquiring looks when he gets up and announces he's going to bed.

He's honest enough with himself to admit that this – acting like he's dating Kira – is something straight out of his most secret wishes, he reflects as he brushes his teeth in the small bathroom. He's thought about it, probably more than he should have. He's wondered often enough what it would feel like to curl around her in bed, to kiss her whenever he wanted, especially when she laughed, because _god_ – she had the most beautiful laugh. That was practically the first thing Scott had told him the first time they'd met her, all starry-eyed, and then Stiles had felt something pressing around his heart, feeling an awful lot like envy.

He still isn't sure whom he'd felt it for, in a way – still feels, sometimes, some days. Because, if he stops trying to lie to himself and act as if he's never thought about it – he'd loved Scott for a long, long time, too, at that point. He still does. He's never been clear on whether it's romantic or not, which he doesn't think is all that important, because either way, he wants to be with them for the rest of their lives, but now they had Kira to stay by their side, and he loves her too, so he can't be mad about it. He can't be mad about the two people he loves the most being happy together.

They're still friends, he tells himself. He looks determinedly in the mirror, wiping a bit of toothpaste. They're all still friends, very good friends, enough that they'd agreed to the whole masquerade, and it's more than enough. He won't allow himself to make it weird. They deserve better than this. It's only two more days, he can hold on, and then everything will go back to normal and Scott and Kira will keep on being blissfully unaware of his very embarrassing feelings for them.

His perfect plan is short-lived when he enters his bedroom and Scott and Kira are already there, whispering a conversation that stops the moment he steps in, both of them looking at him with wide eyes. If that's not code for 'we were just talking about you', then Stiles is willing to eat his next paper. So much for not being weird.

He shakes the unease slowly settling in him and goes to get his pajamas, the low light of his old bedside lamp's light enough to help him not stub his toe into anything. His friends are already changed, and Scott gets up to brush their teeth, giving him a friendly bump on the way. Stiles changes right there, not bothering to hide, because Scott had been right, he didn't have much dignity left to preserve with them. Kira appears to be perfectly okay with it when he turns back, because she's smiling at him and patting the spot on the bed next to her.

Stiles comes to sit there, leaving a few centimeters between them. They don't have to pretend here, and he doesn't know if it's a relief or not.

“I expected it to be messier,” Kira comments.

“Dad cleans regularly. It's a guest room when I'm not here,” Stiles shrugs. “Believe me, when we were in high school, he didn't even bother, because Scott and I would always make everything a mess.”

“I guess he made _you_ clean, then.”

“After a while, he just sighed and didn't say anything,” Stiles laugh. “I think he gave up around the time Scott and I basically started living in each others room. No time to make us clean up.”

Kira's smile mirrors his own, but after a few seconds of reminiscing, he realizes she's staring at him. Her eyes linger on details, like she's looking for something. She must find it, because her expression shifts into a fond one. Her smile is less bright, smaller, but somehow, it feels more intimate, and it makes his heart feel warm before he remembers he can't get caught up in the lie. He has to remind himself that his feelings don't get to have a say in this. She's his friend.

Scott chooses that moment to reappear, and Kira gets up too. They stop a fraction of second on their way, Kira whispering something in Scott's ear that makes them look very pleased, then she gets out too. Scott comes to take her place, lying on Stiles' bed like they're home, which, to be fair, it is. It wasn't a lie when Stiles had told Kira they'd practically lived together in both their rooms at some point. High school wasn't kind to anyone, they'd both needed all the support they could get.

Scott stays silent and doesn't move, but they seem comfortable, and Stiles deems the chances of their earlier conversation being picked up fairly slim. He lets himself relax and lies down next to Scott.

That's how Kira finds them when she returns. She carefully closes the door behind her, then tiptoes to the bed before lying too, on Stiles' other side. She reaches above him, and Scott's hand come find hers, hovering over Stiles.

“You know, if you wanted to cuddle, you should have sat next to each other,” he jokes, as he uses his elbows to sit up. “We don't have to keep up appearances here, remember?”

His friends exchange a look and a few frowns that he doesn't understand, and then Scott clears their throat.

“Yeah. Uhm. About. The appearances.”

And, okay, Stiles was wrong, obviously he couldn't escape the discussion that easily. He closes his eyes tight for a second, inhales, and tells himself everything will be okay. It's fine if they want to redefine their boundaries after this, if they're uncomfortable with it, he understands.

When nothing else comes, though, he opens his eyes and looks at Scott, who's chewing on their lower lip, obviously hesitating. He turns to Kira, but she looks like she's waiting too, although more serenely.

“They might not be only appearances,” Scott finally blurts out, cringing at his words.

Stiles squints, trying to understand, but it doesn't make any _sense_.

“Huh?”

“We kind of _want_ you to be in the middle when we cuddle,” Kira adds. “If that's alright with you.”

“Oh. Is that a tonight thing?”

It's not that unusual. Groups hugs and cuddles after long days happen, and he supposes this could qualify as a long and tiring day, but he still doesn't get what Scott said.

“Not... really,” his best friend supplies. “Look, I'm not sure how to explain it.”

“There's a reason I offered to be your girlfriend for the week-end,” Kira adds, rolling on her stomach so she can look at him without getting a sore neck. “I mean, we could have told you to tell your dad that your girlfriend couldn't make it, it would've worked, right? I mean, it wouldn't have been a good solution in the 'not breaking your dad's heart over your love life' department, but.”

“We totally could have,” Scott emphasizes, sitting up too, cross-legged next to Stiles. Their hands are still linked, resting in his lap, and it makes him _feel_ things, and he is _completely lost._

“That's probably what the normal reaction is, actually,” Kira remarks with an amused voice.

“Okay,” he draws out, looking between his friends. “And that reason is?”

Scott apparently has finally decided what they want to say, because they square up and take a deep breath.

“We want to date you. Both of us. With you,” they clarify, their free hand curling into a fist in their lap. “If you want to, I mean.”

“If you don't want then it's fine, we won't – be offended, or anything,” Kira quickly precises. “But we thought it could be, like, a trial, to see if it would work if we shaked things up a bit.”

“But honestly we know we all work together fine already. So it was mostly to reassure ourselves.”

“And maybe to make you see it _could_ work. I mean, everything went well, right?”

“So, uh, what do you say?”

They're both looking at him now, big eyes and hesitant smiles waiting for his answer, and Stiles is at a loss for words, because there's no way this is real, right? He's dreaming, probably. Been pining for so long, now he's dreaming about this. Or maybe it's a hallucination – who cooked dinner? His grandmother _did_ sometimes try weird recipes.

“Err, Stiles?” Scott probes him gently, a worried expression on their face.

“Please say something.”

“Uh.”

It's a start, but it doesn't really do anything to ease the worry on his friends' faces, so Stiles shifts, looking for an appropriate answer. They apparently take it as a sign of discomfort, because they lean back, their hands leaving his lap to rest at their sides, and he want to say _no, this isn't what I meant_ , but his mouth and his throat are dry and he is still _processing_.

“Date me?” he croaks out, testing the words, because maybe he didn't hear it right, maybe-

“Yeah,” Scott confirms with a nod.

“Oh.”

And okay, he's starting to take a long time, but who can blame him?

Stiles swallows, clutches his hands around the blankets on his bed, swallows again.

“That's, uh, unexpected.”

“Stiles, if you don't want to, just say so,” Kira interrupts softly. “It won't make us mad, I promise.”

“No, that's not- I want to. I really- I _want to_ ,” he finally lets out, and he breathes again, the thing that had been weighting down on him for a few days lifting up, because. _Because._ This is real.

“Really?” Scott beams.

“Yeah. I mean, it's nothing new, actually,” he admits.

“Told you,” Kira smiles at Scott.

“Yeah, okay, I know,” they answer, sticking out their tongue at her.

“Was I that obvious?” Stiles asks, wincing.

“Not really. It's just the little things, some reactions you had, I guess,” Kira explains. “I wasn't completely certain until this week-end. Well, until now, to be honest.”

Stiles can't help the gigantic smile he feels splitting his face in half as he reaches for her. She links her fingers with his, like they've done so much in the last few days already, but this time it holds a different meaning, and Stiles relishes in it.

Then he turns to Scott, but he doesn't have the time to do the same, because they embrace him into one of the best hugs he's ever experienced. He buries his face in the crook of their neck, presses his smile there, and tries not to cry as Kira joins them. Instead he laughs, and holds on to them as tight as he can.

 

* * *

 

The challenge for the rest of the week-end is to have nobody know that things have changed, that they're _all_ together, because even if it's still new, Stiles can't wait to allow himself all the little touches and pet names for his partners, to shower them in all the affection he can give.

But this day is about his dad, and so they valiantly keep acting the same way, which isn't _that_ hard, really, if you put aside the impatience. Nothing much changes, actually, even when it's just all three of them in his bedroom.

When they pack into the Jeep to go back, John takes Stiles apart and tells him he likes Kira, that he's happy she's his girlfriend, smiles and ruffles his hair. Stiles bites his lip and smiles, because he totally agrees. He doesn't add anything, though, because they still want to test the relationship, to let it take its own shape, before they tell their parents.

But if the warmth he feels when Kira and Scott both kiss his cheeks is any indication, they're on the right track.

 


End file.
